What is Ignatian Spirituality?
Ignatian spirituality is a Christian way of life rooted in the Ignatian tradition, long nurtured by the Jesuits and other Catholic orders. Recently, Protestants and other Christians have also embraced this beautiful approach, finding it a transformative way to encounter the living Jesus and live out their faith in today’s world.
It all begins with love.
God’s love is the starting point of Ignatian spirituality. We are invited into a loving relationship with the Trinity as we open to God’s love. As we are transformed by love, we can embrace our brokenness and sin, being led into freedom, wholeness, and a life spent in loving service with our God.
We are invited into freedom.
We are invited into a life of freedom where we give ourselves completely to God in rich love and deep joy. We find that God gives us so much love and grace that we are glad to go wherever God’s love may lead us, even if that includes suffering or sharing the cross of Christ.
We are invited to a life of union with God.
Christian life is not primarily about following the rules or getting it right. Instead, God desires to indwell us, be a companion to us, and fill all things, including us. We find our life being lived increasingly in, through, and with Jesus, and we discover that Jesus is living his life in, through, and with us. We find deep joy and inspiration in this mystical union.
Jesus is at the center.
Ignatian spirituality is fueled by an encounter with the living Jesus through praying the gospel stories with inspired imagination in the prayer journey called the Ignatian Exercises. Jesus comes alive to us in Ignatian prayer, and we discover, just like so many in his earthly life, that encountering Jesus changes everything. Jesus becomes more than just our Lord and Savior, he also becomes our friend and companion on the way.
A life of ongoing discernment.
We live a life of ongoing discernment, depending on God to lead us daily. We discover that life is full of spiritual movements, invitations and temptations, consolations and desolations. Jesus himself is with us in our day, and we begin to find God in all things. While having everything certain and clearly determined may seem attractive, the better way is to stay close to Jesus and go where he leads. And so we live life in radical dependence, trusting in God's love and grace to sustain us and lead us on the way.
We are invited into community with others.
A community of others who have encountered Jesus, and together we live lives of fellowship, encouragement, and companionship, with Jesus at the center.